An Interview with Eric Payne Jr.

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It’s called Social Payne. Eric Payne Jr. a Wayne State Business School graduate and employee in the admissions department, has put his education to work and opened his own company. From Social Media (SM) management and planning, to SM consulting, Eric has noticed the impact that social media has on the market and its influence on the people using it. A quick thinker by nature, he pounced on what he saw was a grand opportunity.

Getting Started

“My friend created a twitter account for me a few summers ago, and as the days passed, I saw how big celebrities and public figures were paid to endorse products on the twitter platform. I thought that was great!” Eric got more involved in the SM world, and now has more than 4,000 followers, working with Wayne State University and independently to establish himself as a major influence in this trending industry. Social media is about utilizing technology to help organizations market their products or services with a smaller budget with a wider audience range. The key factor here is interaction. Organizations are shifting from traditional marketing instruments, to using techniques that consider the customer not only a target market, but also a major influence. In other words, the customer is now a key player in determining organizations’ marketing strategies.

Eric takes pride in blogging and tweeting about Wayne States’ activities and events. He thinks it is the least he can do to give back to his Alma mater. “Wayne State University gave me so many opportunities to evolve academically, socially and professionally. Being part of student organizations and now being a Wayne State University employee, has given me the chance to build a huge network, and I’m trying as much as possible to use that to the benefit of the University.”

Most universities have already utilized social media platforms to enhance their public image and as a tool to interact with prospective students. Recently, Wayne State University has started efforts to get involved in this increasingly relevant marketing technique, but Eric thinks that the efforts should be doubled. “This university has around 30,000 students, with only a couple hundred following its organization’s tweets and Facebook posts. If we give incentives to like pages and follow on twitter, we will be able to attract many more people to our pages. Eric even proposed how easily this could be achieved. In his opinion, even simple free T-shirt giveaways to those who tweet about their favorite player during a Football or Basketball game, can make a difference.

Impact of Social Media

Upon being asked what he thinks about the effects of social media on college recruitment, Eric gave a chuckle and declared, “They’re doing it. It’s a reality.” But he also gave a couple of stern warning. According to Eric, a certain cultural and social bias can develop along with SM marketing, especially when it comes to recruitment. Recruiters are more likely to reach out to prospective students who share social circles with them or who have similar online interests. This can be an advantage or a hindrance, depending on how it is used. Eric also addressed an issue that recurrently makes headlines, “It is also a breach of privacy. But at the end of the day we can’t control it, so I’d say be careful what you post on the social media.” However, in the true tenants of Social Payne he did end on a more hopeful note: “It’s all about perception. Social media is not only a communication and social tool, it’s a business tool now. It can hurt you but it can definitely benefit you.”